FOX
Sometimes, the mark of a good television show is its ability to sit there, be broadcast and let the controversy roll in.
If you’re on board that train of thinking, you’ll be merrily rolling down the track because, in many ways, that’s exactly what Mark (Family Guy) Hentemann’s Bordertown has going for it. The main protagonists — Bud Buckwald (voiced by the great Hank Azaria), an opinionated, white border guard in the fictional desert city of Mexifornia, and Ernesto Gonzalez (via the talents of Nicholas Gonzalez), a Mexican immigrant neighbor who happens to own a successful gardening business — are the epitome of squabble and differences. After all, you set an ignorant white guy within a couple address digits of a point of contention and the fuss and flak are gonna fly. From the get-go, you’ve got the recipe to ooze fodder effortlessly.
But wait, not so fast. Bordertown isn’t that cut-and-dry by any means. For shits and giggles, let’s throw in some dissenters to mix things up. The people with a beef about political correctness, the ones who cry foul because the white folk and the brown folk are not represented in the best light. The ones who rail against racial tropes, the talking heads who jump on opportunities whenever they can to decry shows like Bordertown are just the sort of programs proving “The Man” is winning when it comes to keeping ethnicity underfoot. Face it: We’ve seen a bevy of ignorant white guy shows — from All In The Family to Home Improvement to Two And A Half Men to Bob’s Burgers — and just as many stereotypical non-white ones grace our television screens. So the Republicanesque condemners are justified … right?
Nope.
Because a big, main difference in this case is the fact there’s a nice chunk of writers and consultants on Bordertown who are indeed and in fact Mexican, among them Gustavo Arellano (publisher and editor of Orange County’s OC Weekly and the author of the column “¡Ask a Mexican!”) and artist/cartoonist/writer Lalo Alcaraz (La Cucaracha, the first nationally syndicated, politically themed Latino daily comic strip). Translation: The show’s writers know a few things about Latinos and Latino culture, not just what your average Joe Schmo might pull out his or her backside.
So what does that mean, exactly? It means there will be an authentic ethnic flavor to the program. It might mean there could be uncomfortable situations we wouldn’t normally encounter or wouldn’t dare approach for lack of teetering that racial totter a little too far left. It’s a safe bet it means there’s going to be a lot of things we’re not familiar with on a cultural level which will make us stand up and take notice or cause us to dig deep to understand the meaning. (Unless, you know, you’re an ignorant, racist white guy or dumbass Mexican who just want to perpetuate the stereotypes.) We’re going to get a dose of reality to wake us up and possibly rock our world when it comes to what we think we know about racial issues and (supposed) fundamentals.
But don’t worry, folks. For those of you who simply want a dose of Sunday night comedy the show isn’t going to go over your head. There’s still the standard Fox fare of suggestive dialog, language, sexual situations and violence to calm the nerves and settle you in with familiarity while you take in its 22 or so minutes.
If you’re looking to wind down your weekend with the exploits of a couple families living in a Southwest desert town on the United States-Mexico border and all the trials and tribulations therein, you’ve come to the right place. Just know you have the opportunity to be enlightened during that time, though, if you so choose.
Let’s see what unfolds in episode two …
FOX
Meanwhile, how about some quotations from the premiere that had me alternately chuckling and guffawing?
“I’ve never been so happy to be heteronormative …” — Ernesto’s nephew JC after asking Bud’s daughter Becky to marry him
“Amen brother. Angry yelling is the voice of reason!” — Bud Buckwald
“Can I help you officer? I know I wasn’t speeding. As a rule, I like to take the speed limit, divide it in half and add five. That’s my personal vehicular safety algorithm.” — JC
“Doesn’t speak English …” — Officer stating out loud what he’s writing on citation
“What’s he doing here? Monsters like him passed the law that got me deported!” — JC
“Well, you wouldn’t have gotten deported if you wouldn’t have come to my country in the first place …” — Bud
“I was born in America!” — JC
“Oh yeah? Then why were you deported? Check! Mix!” — Bud
And yes … when I want to inflict a little extra “burn” on someone after proving a point, you better believe I’m going to hit them with a “Check! Mix!”
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